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Leadership in War: Essential Lessons from Those Who Made History Hardcover – October 29, 2019

by Andrew Roberts (Author)

507 ratings

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A comparison of nine leaders who led their nations through the greatest wars the world has ever seen and whose unique strengths—and weaknesses—shaped the course of human history, from the bestselling, award-winning author of Churchill and Napoleon

“Has the enjoyable feel of a lively dinner table conversation with an opinionated guest.” —The New York Times Book Review

Taking us from the French Revolution to the Cold War, Andrew Roberts presents a bracingly honest and deeply insightful look at nine major figures in modern history: Napoleon Bonaparte, Horatio Nelson, Winston Churchill, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, George C. Marshall, Charles de Gaulle, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Margaret Thatcher.

Each of these leaders fundamentally shaped the outcome of the war in which their nation was embroiled. Is war leadership unique, or did these leaders have something in common, traits and techniques that transcend time and place and can be applied to the essential nature of conflict?

Meticulously researched and compellingly written, Leadership in War presents readers with fresh, complex portraits of leaders who approached war with different tactics and weapons, but with the common goal of success in the face of battle. Both inspiring and cautionary, these portraits offer important lessons on leadership in times of struggle, unease, and discord. With his trademark verve and incisive observation, Roberts reveals the qualities that doom even the most promising leaders to failure, as well as the traits that lead to victory.

From the Publisher

leadership in war,gifts for dad,wwii books,world war 2 books,andrew roberts books,presidents,history

Editorial Reviews

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“An understated treasure . . . [that] distills some of the insights Roberts has developed in more than a dozen classic works of history and biography, all in a slim volume that might be read over an afternoon. . . . Roberts’s chapter on Hitler is a tour de force of historical portraiture.”
—The National Review

“Roberts is superbly well-qualified to write about these extraordinary leaders. . . . Roberts’s description offers vivid detail, spare prose, immortal rhetoric, and a touch of humor. His chapters offer masterly, magnificent portraits of what it takes to steer an army or a nation through a crisis. . . . Every reader can be grateful for such a thrilling and succinct account of leadership.”
—The New Criterion

“Andrew Roberts provides lovely overviews of the careers of both Marshall and Eisenhower, among others. . . . [Leadership in War] has the enjoyable feel of a lively dinner table conversation with an opinionated guest.”
—The New York Times Book Review

“Andrew Roberts is a remarkably gifted writer of vivid narrative prose, and a talented, popular historian. . . . Reading his work is always a pleasure and often a source of fresh insights.”
—The Washington Times

“Roberts delves into the experiences of wartime leaders to produce lessons for heads of business. . . . illuminating . . . These portrayals were originally delivered as lectures by Roberts, a prolific historian of World War II and biographer of Napoleon and Churchill. The profiles of Napoleon and Dwight D. Eisenhower are the most salient for business readers, but it is not difficult to find insight in nearly all of them.”
—Strategy+Business

“Meticulously researched and full of revelations, this is a fascinating read.”
—The Sun (Pick of the Week)

“Roberts has a gift for finding the anecdote or quotation which reveals an essential truth about his subject.”
—History Today

“Roberts provides many valuable insights into the nature of high command in war.”
—Military History Matters

“Roberts has written acclaimed biographies of several of his chosen leaders and is a master of his material. Future generations of military leaders will have cause to be grateful to Andrew Roberts for distilling the findings of his meticulous research into such an accessible and engaging analysis.”
—The House Magazine

“[Roberts] is a master storyteller. It is impossible to get bored reading him.”
—Law & Liberty

About the Author

Andrew Roberts is the bestselling author of Churchill: Walking with Destiny, winner of the the Council on Foreign Relations Arthur Ross Book Award; The Storm of War: A New History of the Second World War; Masters and Commanders: How Four Titans Won the War in the West, 1941-1945; Waterloo: Napoleon's Last Gamble; and Napoleon: A Life, winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for biography. He has won many other prizes, including the Wolfson History Prize and the British Army Military Book of the Year. He is the Roger and Martha Mertz Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, a Lehrman Institute Distinguished Fellow at the New-York Historical Society, and a visiting professor in the Department of War Studies at King's College London.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Viking
Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 29, 2019
Edition ‏ : ‎ First Edition
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0525522387
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0525522386
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.2 x 0.9 x 9.28 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #444,777 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #92 in General Elections & Political Process
- #118 in Military Strategy History (Books)
- #669 in World War II History (Books)
Customer Reviews:
507 ratings

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Customer reviews

507 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book easy to read and appreciate its insightful overview of leadership, with one review noting it presents facts without pedantry. They value the content, with one customer highlighting the chapter on DeGaulle, while another praises its beautiful writing style.

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Readability Leadership Information quality Content Pacing

8 customers mention "Readability"7 positive1 negative

Customers find the book easy and fun to read, with one customer noting that the beginning is particularly interesting.

"This is an enjoyable, interesting and engaging book from the ever-reliable Andrew Roberts...." Read more

"...He does so clearly and concisely...." Read more

"...This was a fun read and one in which I learned a lot. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did." Read more

"...Roberts' has a wonderfully easy to read writing style and I plan to read more of his books. The Brits know history!" Read more

7 customers mention "Leadership"7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's approach to leadership, with one customer noting how it humanizes each leader and provides succinct lessons.

"A very good book with nice and succinct leadership lessons from nine captivating and polarizing leaders from the last couple centuries...." Read more

"...He does so clearly and concisely. He humanizes each leader, illustrating each one’s strengths and weaknesses, all the while extracting lessons for..." Read more

"Andrew Roberts is not simply a great historian. He is a keen observer of leadership, plumbing the depths of the characteristics and events that make..." Read more

"...This book is a wonderful read, with insightful portraits of many key leaders...." Read more

5 customers mention "Information quality"4 positive1 negative

Customers appreciate the information quality of the book, finding it insightful and useful, with one customer noting that the facts are presented without pedantry or overblown descriptions.

"...In each case Roberts provides an insightful overview, and several unique or interesting insights...." Read more

"The sequence is good and the book is simple with good information. Useful information . The beginning of the book is interesting." Read more

"Roberts does an excellent job of describing and explaining famous leaders as they pursued their personal goals, as well as achieving crucial..." Read more

"Very little new information here...." Read more

4 customers mention "Content"4 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the content of the book, with one customer highlighting the great stories and another noting the importance of the conclusions.

"Andrew Roberts is not simply a great historian...." Read more

"...I especially liked the chapter on DeGaulle, perhaps because I don't know much about him...." Read more

"...This is a thoughtful and compelling read and its conclusions are most important." Read more

"Great stories..." Read more

3 customers mention "Pacing"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the pacing of the book, with one describing it as beautifully written and superbly crafted.

"...-by-point rebuttal of various critiques of Eisenhower, which is nicely done...." Read more

"Each chapter of this book is superbly crafted. Professor Roberts writes about human motivations, which can be conflicting and difficult to discern...." Read more

"...opines on the nature and secrets of leadership in this beautifully written book...." Read more

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Contarini
Andrew Roberts surveys military leaderships from the Olympian heights of high command
Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2019
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

This is an enjoyable, interesting and engaging book from the ever-reliable Andrew Roberts.

The book derives from a series of lectures on the military leadership of nine critical historical figures: Napoleon, Nelson, Churchill, Hitler, Stalin, Marshall, De Gaulle, Eisenhower, and Mrs. Thatcher.

In each case Roberts provides an insightful overview, and several unique or interesting insights.

For example, with regard to Marshall, Roberts speculates that the incessant insistence on an early Second Front, which would likely not have succeeded before its actual launch date in 1944, was more a matter of Marshall pushing to maintain momentum and focus, and that Marshall knew an early second front in France was not practical. This can never be confirmed, but given Marshall’s professionalism and knowledge of the actual factors in play, this seems correct.

(As an aside, I have long held to a similarly unprovable notion that FDR held Marshall back from commanding Overlord, because if it failed, Eisenhower would be sacked, and Marshall would be the only person with the prestige and standing to rally a defeated army and make a second try. Of course FDR confided in no one, so we will remain forever in the dark about his motives and thinking to an exceptional degree for a person of his public and historical stature.)

Roberts provides a point-by-point rebuttal of various critiques of Eisenhower, which is nicely done. Eisenhower in fact made very few mistakes and accomplished everything he needed to do. Panache and dash were not necessary, and as we now know, Eisenhower was a deeper and more ruthless figure than he was believed to be in his own lifetime.

Roberts’ discussion of De Gaulle is balanced and fair, and shows the mix of exasperation and respect De Gaulle has always justifiably provoked.

Roberts quotes Enoch Powell about Margaret Thatcher as the Iron Lady, in a passage which was unfamiliar to me. This is one of several such novel details in the book, which deals with very well known figures. Yet there is always more to learn about even such titans as these.

Having now read five books by Roberts, I can recommend anything by him with confidence.

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22 people found this helpful

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Perry S.
Great Book
Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2022
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
A very good book with nice and succinct leadership lessons from nine captivating and polarizing leaders from the last couple centuries. My one knock on it is that a few of the nine subjects don't get their "fair" and objective look at their leadership skills and, rather, the author only talks about their personal and professional flaws instead of how they achieved power.

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4 people found this helpful

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731k820Lh
What Makes a Great Wartime Leader?
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2019
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
Each chapter of this book is superbly crafted. Professor Roberts writes about human motivations, which can be conflicting and difficult to discern. He does so clearly and concisely. He humanizes each leader, illustrating each one’s strengths and weaknesses, all the while extracting lessons for effective leadership in war.

One thing that particularly struck me was the author’s theory as to why General Marshall did not waver on his insistence that a second front be created in northern France. I had never read this before. It is interesting to see historical dots connected in new ways. To find out what the theory is, buy the book.

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10 people found this helpful

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frank kelly
A Classic for Leadership Studies
Reviewed in the United States on August 18, 2021
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Andrew Roberts is not simply a great historian. He is a keen observer of leadership, plumbing the depths of the characteristics and events that make a great leader such as Churchill and Nelson - or, as this slim little classic includes horrid evil leaders such as Hitler who entranced a nation into committing collective genocide. To become a leader, to find a leader - a good leader possessing virtue and courage - we must know how to look for one and identify those who are likely to ride to the occasion (or not as in the case of Hitler). This was a fun read and one in which I learned a lot. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

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4 people found this helpful

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Bryan J. Farrell
Insightful
Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2020
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
I have read Roberts' last book on world war 2 which was touted as a new take on the war. After reading I concluded that he pulled it off, overcoming my initial skepticism. This book is a wonderful read, with insightful portraits of many key leaders. I especially liked the chapter on DeGaulle, perhaps because I don't know much about him. Roberts' has a wonderfully easy to read writing style and I plan to read more of his books. The Brits know history!

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4 people found this helpful

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C. Martin
World view development
Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2025
Chock full of insights gained by long study. I’d like to read more by this author. I consider the observation that what statesmen experience of the international world in early teens ( age 12-14) is significant to the world view they take on in life. Margaret Thatcher remembers Churchill, Napoleon came of age during the American Revolution. I pause to consider what I impacted me at age 13 and how that colors my view of the world. True for each person we work with.

“Those years up to early teenage are very important in the political makeup of a statesman, indeed far more so than the late-teenage years that biographers tend to concentrate upon much more. For it is then when international events first impinge on the young consciousness, and lessons are consciously or subconsciously learned. “

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Frances V.
Napoleon did not lose the battle of Waterloo
Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2019
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Having recently read the excellent book by Andrew Roberts “Leadership in War”, one part of his description of the loss of Napoleon’s battle of Waterloo surprises me. In my readings I had learned that Napoleon was confined to his bed during the battle because of his illness. His generals would come to him for instructions which he readily gave them. But his timid generals did not follow his advice. For example, when the British troops were pinned against the large trees of the wilderness, his timid generals rejected his advice to attack. The British were then able to extricate themselves and win the battle. His generals, not Napoleon, lost the battle through timidity. The author does not mention this.

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9 people found this helpful

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Abdullah A.
Not bad
Reviewed in the United States on June 16, 2020
Format: KindleVerified Purchase
The sequence is good and the book is simple with good information. Useful information . The beginning of the book is interesting.

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Top reviews from other countries

Jasper von Richthofen
Exvellent book
Reviewed in Germany on January 28, 2020
Verified Purchase

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Lots of interesting information and also pleasant to read. The author makes astute observations and taught me many things I did not know. Highly recommended!

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Mr. G. Lawrence
Great general introduction to the concept
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 13, 2025
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Excellent overview of war leadership, drawing parallels and seeking out characteristics in common. Covers a number of significant people in leadership positions and, if you're curious, gives you the incentive to seek out further historical information on several people and historical subjects.

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Friendoftheworld
Take me to your leader
Reviewed in Japan on September 26, 2022
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Excellent brief accounts of nine wartime leaders - almost a Bluffers' Guide to figures such as Napoleon, Nelson, Hitler ( David Icke with a moustache ) , Churchill and Marshall etc.
Being English, I naturally resent the presence of that Anglophobic Gallic goon, Charles de Gaulle,
whose leadership amounted to running away to London, spending four years insulting his hosts, and then strutting through Paris absurdly proclaiming it had been liberated by itself !

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Patrick Sullivan
Nine War Time leaders
Reviewed in Canada on July 22, 2020
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
Roberts reviews the wartime leadership of nine different people. The list includes; Napoleon, Nelson, Churchill, Hitler, Stalin, George Marshall, Charles De Gaulle, Eisenhower, and Margret Thatcher. Roberts lays out a brief biography of each person and explains their military leadership. Most historically minded readers, will enjoy the descriptions of the armed conflicts. Roberts also outlines the important characteristics of military leaders.

The weak area of the book, rides on the selection of wartime leaders. The two chapters on Hitler and Stalin will leave the reader with a lot of questions. Why did Roberts include leaders, that do not provide good examples of leadership? And in the long list of human conflicts, most historians would rank the Falklands War, near the bottom of the list.
Readers will approve of this quick read. However, Roberts could have easily delivered, a much stronger list of military leaders.

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S. Sen
Crisp pen-portraits
Reviewed in India on October 17, 2022
Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
Roberts has distinguished himself over the years, especially as a biographer of Napoleon and Churchill. This, however, is not an in-depth study. It is more cursory, yet, very lively. Readers may find a few gems here and there, especially in the chapters on Napoleon, Nelson, Churchill, and de Gaulle. A book to be read in a day: slim and useful, especially for those interested in military history. Roberts attempts at theorizing on leadership, but refrains from trying too hard-a thing to be considered a virtue in historians. Apart from content, Amazon has delivered the book on time, which has been received in mint condition. Price was around 300 which is fair enough for this book. Ordered from the seller Uread store.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Exvellent book

5.0 out of 5 stars Great general introduction to the concept

5.0 out of 5 stars Take me to your leader

3.0 out of 5 stars Nine War Time leaders

4.0 out of 5 stars Crisp pen-portraits

Exvellent book

Great general introduction to the concept

Take me to your leader

Nine War Time leaders

Crisp pen-portraits